Cost of living in Hoi An
A UNESCO-listed ancient town 45 minutes south of Da Nang. The cheapest of the five cities for every tier — small, walkable, quiet, and tourist-driven.
Monthly cost by lifestyle
All figures are monthly, in VND. USD converted at ₫25,500 per $1.
How a working Vietnamese resident typically lives — modest apartment, home cooking, public healthcare.
| Category | VND | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | ₫3,000,000 | $118 |
| Food & groceries | ₫2,500,000 | $98 |
| Transport | ₫300,000 | $12 |
| Utilities & internet | ₫600,000 | $24 |
| Healthcare | ₫250,000 | $10 |
| Domestic help | ₫0 | $0 |
| Entertainment | ₫400,000 | $16 |
| Other | ₫500,000 | $20 |
| Total | ₫7,550,000 | $296 |
Nice apartment in an expat district, mixed local and Western food, private insurance, part-time cleaner.
| Category | VND | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | ₫10,000,000 | $392 |
| Food & groceries | ₫6,500,000 | $255 |
| Transport | ₫1,500,000 | $59 |
| Utilities & internet | ₫1,600,000 | $63 |
| Healthcare | ₫2,200,000 | $86 |
| Domestic help | ₫2,800,000 | $110 |
| Entertainment | ₫3,000,000 | $118 |
| Other | ₫2,000,000 | $78 |
| Total | ₫29,600,000 | $1,161 |
Villa or penthouse with private driver, live-in cook, nanny, housekeeper, and top-tier private healthcare.
| Category | VND | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | ₫40,000,000 | $1,569 |
| Food & groceries | ₫14,000,000 | $549 |
| Transport | ₫18,000,000 | $706 |
| Utilities & internet | ₫4,000,000 | $157 |
| Healthcare | ₫6,500,000 | $255 |
| Domestic help | ₫25,000,000 | $980 |
| Entertainment | ₫10,000,000 | $392 |
| Other | ₫8,500,000 | $333 |
| Total | ₫126,000,000 | $4,941 |
Neighborhoods
Typical monthly rent for a comparable expat-tier apartment or villa in each district.
Expat and long-stay-tourist hub, beach villas and boutique guesthouses, cafe strip walking distance to the sand.
Rural riverside district five minutes from town, quieter, popular for family villas with gardens.
Historic center, restrictions on renovations, mostly short-term rentals rather than long-term expat homes.
Local residential district north of the ancient town, cheapest housing in Hoi An.
Who this budget is for
Hoi An is the cheapest of the five Vietnamese cities on this site, and the smallest. It suits a specific expat: someone who wants a quiet base with walkable old-town charm, a working beach, and cost of living materially below Da Nang, and who does not need a big-city infrastructure of hospitals, international schools, or fine dining. Retirees, digital nomads on longer stays, and semi-retired families with adult children all end up here. Younger families with school-age children usually do not — the international-school pool is too shallow.
The three tiers here
The local tier reflects a working-class Vietnamese household in Cam Chau or a similar residential district: cheaper apartment, home cooking, motorbike, minimal healthcare spend. The expat tier is a comfortable single or couple in An Bang beach or the ancient-town periphery — nice villa or serviced apartment, mix of local and Western food, private insurance, part-time cleaner. The wealthy tier is a family-scale custom villa with pool and full staff, most commonly in An Bang or the Cam Thanh countryside.
Why housing dominates less here
In Hanoi and HCMC, housing accounts for 40–45% of the wealthy tier's monthly total. In Hoi An it accounts for closer to 30%, because the top-end villa market is smaller and prices have not run up as sharply as in the two big cities. The wealthy tier's ₫40,000,000 housing line buys a genuinely trophy villa in Hoi An — the equivalent in Ho Chi Minh City's Thao Dien would list for ₫75,000,000 or more.
What the small size costs you
The trade-off for the low cost is scale. There are two private hospitals in the immediate area; anything serious means a 45-minute drive to Da Nang or a flight to HCMC. The international-school selection is one main option (Singapore International School Da Nang) with a bus route; families who want choice are effectively pushed to Da Nang. Restaurant scene is deep for its size but not comparable to the bigger cities. Direct international flights require driving to Da Nang airport.
When the wealthy tier is over-budgeted
The transport line assumes a driver with car for daily use — many wealthy-tier Hoi An expats can trim this significantly by keeping the driver on part-time (school runs, weekend trips) and using Grab or the family motorbike for shorter errands. The entertainment line assumes regular travel; households that treat Hoi An as their year-round base with fewer trips can trim ₫3,000,000–₫5,000,000 a month here.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
›How much does an expat couple spend per month in Hoi An?
A comfortable expat couple in Hoi An lives on around ₫29,600,000 per month, or roughly $1,160 at the 2026 exchange rate — the cheapest of the five Vietnamese cities we track.
›Is Hoi An too small for a long-term stay?
For many expats, yes — the resident foreign population is small, the international-school selection is minimal, and specialist medical care requires a drive to Da Nang. Most long-term expats treat Hoi An as a base and split time with Da Nang or spend extended stretches abroad.
›How does the flood season affect life in Hoi An?
The Thu Bon River floods the ancient town most Octobers and Novembers; some years the water reaches first-floor windows. Villas outside the ancient town on elevated ground are generally unaffected. Any long-term rental contract should include flood clauses.
›Where do wealthy expats live in Hoi An?
Custom-built villas along the An Bang beach strip or in the Cam Thanh countryside are the two main options. The ₫40,000,000-per-month wealthy tier reflects a 3–4 bedroom villa with private pool, staff quarters, and walking access to either the beach or a riverside setting.
›Can you live in Hoi An without a car?
The ancient town is entirely walkable and bicycle-friendly. Beach and countryside expats typically keep a motorbike plus occasional Grab. A car becomes worthwhile mainly for wealthy-tier households with school-age children who commute to Da Nang.
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